The U.S. Air Force has awarded a $9.36 million contract to purchase as many as 18,000 iPad 2s, according to Bloomberg. The plan is to replace bulky and heavy flight bags full of navigational charts and other materials with iPads in order to reduce the weight of pilots’ bags and save fuel on flights.

Edit: Seriously though, I would think the improved screen resolution on the new iPad would be a boon for reading navigational charts, especially given the stakes involved. And I didn’t figure the air force to be strapped for cash.

lucascott

There could easily be a clause in the contract to switch to the new hardware when and if it happens. Athough they might not actually need it and could simply take a cost reduction on the same hardware